Automatic midstream urine sample collector

ABSTRACT

A URINE SAMPLE COLLECTION APPARATUS HAVING COLLECTION RECEPTAVLES ON EITHER END OF A BEAM WHICH MOVES RESPONSIVE TO COLLECTED POTIONS OF THE INCOMING STEAM TO COLLECT A SPECIMEN OF A PREDETERMINED PORTION OF AN INCOMING URINE STEAM.

Dec. 7, 1971 HlNMAN, JR" ETAL 3,625,064

AUTOMATIC MIDSTREAM URINE SAMPLE COLLECTOR Filed Jan. 9, 1969 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 52 (I 2,50 ll \LL i I 4 -1 1\ PIE. 2 W as 48 i 58 I H INVENTORS' v FRANK H/NMAMJR. M 20 BY ARTHUR u/Tz i WW '7 Dec. 7, 1971 MA JR" ET AL 3,625,064

AUTOMATIC MIDSTREAM URINE SAMPLE COLLECTOR 2 Sheets-Sheet I Filed Jan. 9, 1969 INVENTORS FRANK H/NMA/V, JR. BY ARTHUR LU TZ I j ATTUk/VEVS United States Patent R 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A urine sample collection apparatus having collection receptacles on either end of a beam which moves responsive to collected portions of the incoming stream to collect a specimen of a predetermined portion of an incoming urine stream.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a urine sampling device, and more particularly, to a device which will automatically collect a specimen of a predetermined portion of an ining urine stream.

The prior art teaches the use of various receptacles. Most of them are designed for use in conjunction with a toilet. In operation, they all collect whatever portion of a urine stream that is directed into them.

Often, it is the desire of the doctor who requests the specimen to have only a selected portion of the elimination. This requires manual manipulation of the receptacle with the attendant risks of human error and foreign contamination through mishandling, in addition to requiring supervision or assistance by another in the case of your children or invalids.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Basically, the invention consists of a device which is responsive to the amount of liquid passed into it and which operates to bring a specimen cup into fluid communication with a preselected portion of the incoming stream to collect a predetermined amount of said stream Without manipulation by any human agent.

This device ofiers the advantage of obtaining a specimen from the desired portion of the elimination with reproducible accuracy not subject to the variance inherent in manual operation. It oifers the further advantage of being equally usable by persons of either sex and virtually eliminates the necessity of assisting persons of any age and persons with all but the most extreme disability. Furthermore, because the specimen cup needs no handling during elimination, the danger of specimen contamination is minimized and the patient is spared potential unpleasantness.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the sample collector suspended beneath a frame supported toilet seat.

FIG. 2 is a lateral section with an identical first and third position of the apparatus shown in solid line representation and a second position shown in phantom line representation.

FIG. 3 is a lateral section showing the second position of the apparatus.

FIG. 4 is a transverse section of the sample collector.

DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings, the collection apparatus is designated therein in its entirety by the numeral 10. The basic supporting structure of the apparatus takes the form of a free standing frame comprised of generally inverted U-shaped legs 12 and 14 and a toilet seat 16 secured to and over their bight portions. The legs cross each other and are secured together at their intersections by pins 18 (only one of which is illustrated).

The basic collecting component of the apparatus comprises a support structure 20 fixed to and suspended beneath the bight portions of the legs 12 and 14. This structure comprises the following elements; an upper shield 22 of generally inverted trough shaped configuration fixed to the leg 12 by rivets 24 and having an aperture 26 extending therethrough; a suspension element 28 fixedly se cured between the bight portion of the leg 14 and the rearmost end of the shield 22; a plurality of posts 30 fixedly secured to and depending downwardly from the shield 22 around the aperture 26 therein; an intermediate support member 32 fixedly secured to and suspended from the posts 30, said member having an aperture 34 therein in alignment with the aperture 26; a pair of support plates 36 fixed to and depending downwardly from the sides of the member 32 in spaced parallel relationship relative to each other; and, a pair of transversely aligned bearing elements 38 disposed within and supported by the members 36.

The structure 20 pivotally supports a beam-like structure 40 for rocking movement about the axis defined by the bearing elements 38. The structure 40 comprises: a tray element 42 received between the support plates 36 for movement relative thereto between positions in and out of alignment with the apertures 26 and 34; a pair of side members 44 fixed to and depending downwardly from the sides of the tray element between the support plates 36; a fulcrum pin 46 fixedly secured between the side members 44 and having end portions in journalled engagement with the bearing elements 38 for rotation relative thereto; a counterweight 48 secured between the side members 44 beneath the pin 46; a pair of cup suspension ears 50, one of which is integrally formed with each of the side members 44 and depends downwardly therefrom; and, a cup support 52 pivotally suspended between the ears 50 by pin connections 54. The structure 40 is balanced for positioning in either one of two stable positions, as illustrated by the solid and phantom line representations in FIG. 2. Either of these positions may be assumed when the collection components of the structure 40 are in an empty condition. Movement between the respective positions is automatically provided, as will become more apparent subsequently, as the collection components on the structure 40 are filled. In the solid line position illustrated in FIG. 2, the upper edge of the tray element 42 abuts against the suspension element 28. When in the phantom line position illustrated in FIG. 2, the upper right hand edge of the tray element 42 abuts against the undersurface of the intermediate support 32.

The cup support is weighted so as to be maintained in the upright condition illustrated throughout the drawings under the influence of gravity. It is of generally frusto-conical tubular configuration and adapted to removably support a disposable conical cup 56 The cup 56 may be of any of the commercially available varieties, such as those typically used in disposable cup dispensers.

A pan 58 is supported beneath the tray element 412 to receive overflow therefrom when it is in the phantom line position illustrated in FIG. 2. This pan is of conventional character and is supported on a bail 60 suspended from the legs. The point of suspension is not illustrated.

To prepare the apparatus for operation, the tray element 42 is first emptied by manually moving it to the discharge position illustrated by the phantom line representation of FIG. 2 and the solid line representation of FIG. 3. This functions to empty the element into the pan 58, as represented by the arrow line leading from the element in FIG. 3. Once the tray element is thus emptied, preparation is completed by moving the tray to the solid line position illustrated in FIG. 2 and placing a sterile specimen cup 56 in the support 52. With the apparatus thus prepared, the tray element is said to be in the first position.

Once thus conditioned to place the tray element in the first position, the apparatus is used by directing the urine stream to be sampled through the apertures 26 and 34 as designated by the arrow line leading therethrough in FIG. 2. This stream is intercepted by the tray element 42 and collects in the lower end thereof, as represented by the reservoir of fluid designated 612 in FIG. 2. Once the reservoir reaches a predetermined volume, its weight functions to counterbalance the tray element 42 to the position illustrated in phantom line representation in FIG. 2 and solid line representation in FIG. 3. This position will hereinafter be referred to as the second position. The predetermined volume required to effect this counterbalancing function is determined by the weight distribution of the beamlike structure 40, the location of the fulcrum pin 46, and the location of the counterweight 48. In the second position, the specimen cup 56 is raised, as designated by the arrow line leading therefrom in FIG. 2, to a location wherein it is exposed to the urine stream entering through the apertures 26 and 34. Thus, a portion of the stream is collected within the cup. At the same time, the reservoir of urine 62 within the tray element 42 is discharged into the pan 58.

The beam-like structure 40 remains in the second position until a volume of urine of a predetermined weight collects in the specimen cup 56. Upon the collection of such a volume, its weight functions to counterbalance the beam-like structure 40 to the solid line position illustrated in FIG. 2. This position is referred to as the third position. Insofar as the condition of the structure 40 is concerned, it corresponds to the first position. It differs from the first position, however, in that a volume of urine of a predetermined weight is contained within the cup 56. The factors which determine this weight are the same as those mentioned in the foregoing discussion with respect to the predetermined weight of the volume of the reservoir 62 required to counterbalance the tray from the first to the second position.

With the structure 40 and the tray element 42 forming part thereof in the third position, the stream of urine entering through the apertures 26 and 34 is again directed to the lower end of the tray element to form a reservoir 62. The weight of urine in the cup 56 is sufficient, however, to prevent this reservoir from again counterbalancing the structure 40. Thus, if the capacity of the reservoir is exceeded, urine simply overflows therefrom into the pan 58.

From the foregoing description, it can be seen that the tray element functions to shield the cup 56 from the urine stream when in both the zfirst and third positions. Thus, only a mid-portion of the stream entering the apparatus is collected in the cup. The remainder is discharged to waste in the pan 58.

Although the sequence described operates to collect only the mid-portion of the urine stream, the same apparatus can be used to collect only the first position. This may be accomplished by beginning urine elimination with the beam-like structure in what has been termed the second position. If so conditioned, the specimen cup will collect the first portion of the urine stream and the structure 40 will then move directly to the third position. In the latter position, the remaining portion of the urine elimination will be directed to the pan 58.

While the apparatus has been shown as being a selfcontained unit, it should be understood that it might be modified so as to be supported by a toilet of relatively conventional nature. In such a modification, the leg, seat and pan structure would be omitted and the collecting mechanism would be suspended directly on the structure of the toilet. The seat of the toilet and its collection basin would perform the functions of the seat and pan of the illustrated embodiment.

We claim:

1. A sampling apparatus for collecting a specimen of the mid-portion of a urine stream, said apparatus comprising:

(a) a specimen cup support pivotally mounted in the apparatus to support and maintain a cup in a generally mouth upwards position; I

(b) a specimen cup supported by the support; and

(c) means connected to the specimen cup support to shield the mouth of the cup supported therein from fluid communication with a predetermined first portion of a stream of urine thereby preventing said first portion from entering said cup, and responsive to the flow of the stream to subsequently bring said cup mouth into communication with the mid-portion of said stream of urine.

2. A sampling apparatus for collecting a specimen of a urine stream, said apparatus comprising:

(a) a specimen cup;

(b) means pivotally mounted in the apparatus to support said cup in a generally mouth upwards orientation; and

(c) means shielding the cup from a first portion of the urine stream, said means being responsive to the flow of the stream to bring the cup into fluid communication with a predetermined mid-portion of said stream while preventing the flow of the remainder of the stream thereinto after said mid-portion has entered said cup.

3. A sampling apparatus for collecting a specimen of the mid-portion of a urine stream, said apparatus comprising:

(a) a specimen cup support disposed to support and maintain a cup in a generally mouth upwards position;

(b) a specimen cup supported by the support; and,

(0) means operatively associated with the specimen cup support to bring the mouth of the cup supported therein alternatively out of, and then into, fluid communication with a stream of urine, responsive to the flow of the stream, said means comprising:

(1) a base member; and,

(2) a tray-like element rockably mounted on the base member and having the specimen cup support suspended from one end thereof and a collection receptacle formed in the other end thereof, said support and receptacle being on opposite sides of the base member in counterbalanced relationship to one another and said element being rockable between a first stable position in which the stream communicates with the collection receptacle and the specimen cup is shielded by the element and a second stable position in which the stream communicates with the specimen cup;

the receptacle being of limited capacity and, upon filling, spilling urine therefrom; and,

upon being disposed in the first position with the cup in an empty condition, the accumulation of a predetermined quantity of urine in said receptacle functioning to rock the tray to the second position; and,

upon being disposed in the second position; the accumulation of a predetermined quantity of urine in the cup functioning to rock the tray to the first position and maintain the cup in the first position irrespective of the degree to which the receptacle is thereafter filled.

4. A sampling apparatus for collecting a specimen of the mid-portion of a urine stream, said apparatus comprising:

(a) a specimen cup support disposed to support and maintain a cup in a generally mouth upwards position;

(b) a specimen cup supported by the support; and, means connected to the specimen cup support to shield the mouth of the cup supported therein from (l) a shield pivotally supported above said cup for movement between a first position shielding said cup from the flow of urine thereinto and a second position exposing said cup to the flow of urine thereinto;

fluid communication with a predetermined first por- (2) counterbalancing means operatively associated tion of a stream of urine thereby preventing said with said shield to normally maintain it in the first portion from entering said cup, and responsive first position and, upon deflection of a predeterto the flow of the stream to subsequently bring said mined quantity of urine, to effect movement of cup mouth into communication with the mid-portion said shield to the second position until a preof said stream of urine, said means comprising: determined quantity of urine has been collected (1) a collection receptacle; in the specimen cup.

(2) mounting means pivotally supporting the re- 6. The combination according to claim 5 wherein the ceptacle and the specimen cup support and cup counterbalancing means comprises a collection receptacle supported therein in counterbalanced relation- 1 formed at one end of the pivotally supported shield to ship to one another, said means functioning to collect a predetermined quantity of the first portion of place said receptacle in the path of said stream the stream, the weight of which counterbalances the shield to permit said predetermined first portion of a and causes its rotation exposing the specimen cup to comstream of urine to accumulate therein and pivot munication With the stream. to provide for movement of the cup to a position 2 in the path of the stream responsive to the Weight References Cited of said predetermined first portion collected in UNITED STATES PATENTS said receptacle' 1 146 40 2' 7/1915 *Ch ber 73 421 UX 5. A sampling apparatus for the collection of a speci- 7/1926 g etsal X men of a mid-portion of a urine stream comprising: 1875472 9/1932 McGre or 73 421 A (a) a specimen cup oriented mouth upwards; 2626387 1/1953 Berry g (b) shielding means responsive to the flow of a urine 3,499,327 3/1910} Lane Jr. 73 421 stream for alternatively shielding the specimen cup to prevent a predetermined first portion of the urine stream from entering the cup, and then exposing it to communication with the stream, after said predetermined first portion of the stream has passed so that the specimen of the mid-portion of the stream will enter the cup, said means comprising:

LOUIS R. PRINCE, Primary Examiner D. M. YASICH, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 4-110 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,625,064 Dated December 7. 1971 Inventofls) Frank Hinman, Jr., et a1 It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 1, lines 5 and 6, delete "assignors to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Signed and sealed this 14th day of November 1972.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

